After All
by moviemangaandtvshowfan
Summary: Everything was finally going back to normal, but for Asami Sato, nothing will ever be the same, and everything will change for her. However, the changes she anticipated weren't as bad as she thought; and she is thankful to a certain general for that.
1. Offer

**Hello, everyone! I've been an IroSami shipper for a while, and I decided to try my hand at a story about one of my favorite Legend of Korra couples. So please enjoy the story, and if you have time, review. :)**

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Strong, independent and loyal; those were just some of the words that describe Asami Sato; it is indeed true that she is a proper and sophisticated lady of high standing, but at the same time, she is also a very skilled and formidable fighter; being more than capable of fighting several Equalists alone with relative ease. The young soon-to-be head of Future Industries is truly incredible in comparison to most women.

However, as she stood in the middle of the destroyed Equalist base where she and two of her friends were temporarily captured, she can't help but feel weak; she didn't feel guilty about helping in the base's destruction, far from it, she actually felt satisfied, knowing that she helped in doing the right thing; the reason why she felt awful was because of her father.

Her father, the only member of her family left, had lied and kept secrets from her; he turned out to be an Equalist and was the one who provided the Anti-Bending group with machinery and weapons; he also tried to capture her friends when he revealed his true colours, he told her that he joined Amon to fight for the non-benders, to avenge her mother's death at the hands of an Agni Kai Triad firebender, and to protect her; he even asked her to join him in battling alongside Amon, and Asami, believing in doing what's right, took the Electrified glove from her father when he offered it to her… and electrocuted him before knocking down the Lieutenant and escaping with her friends to Air Temple Island.

However, despite all the terrible things her father did, Asami still loved him for not only was he the only one left in her family, but because he loved and took care of her ever since she was little, but although she still loved him, she won't deny the fact that she was ashamed of him.

The war between benders and the Equalists had concluded merely over a month ago, and Republic City, and its citizens, was on its way to recovery, and as Korra regained her bending with the help of Avatar Aang as well as gained the ability to restore the bending of others, she almost immediately began using her new power to give Amon's victims their lost abilities back. All in all, everything was starting to go back to normal.

_Well, almost everything_, thought Asami, the painful fact that her father was imprisoned after the war and that Mako left her for Korra was certainly wrenching her heart, the latter situation left an impact on her, despite the fact that she knew that her relationship with the pro-bending firebender was disintegrating, it still hurt for she truly loved Mako, but honestly, she was happy for him and the female Avatar, because no matter what, they were still her friends and she cared for them and their happiness, nevertheless that still didn't stop her from feeling slightly awkward whenever she was with them, but she knew that the awkwardness wouldn't last long.

Then her reverie was cut short by a familiar voice.

"Are you alright?" the voice said.

She was startled at first but then calmed down before facing the new comer, there stood in front of her, clad in the official United Forces uniform for generals, with jet black hair and strong cheekbones, and a look of concern on his face that Asami could tell was genuine by looking into his sincere-amber coloured eyes, was the crowned-prince of the Fire Nation and one of the leaders of the United Forces, General Iroh.

"General Iroh!" she said surprised, "I'm surprised to see you here."

"I'm also surprised to see you here, Miss Sato," began the general, "I would have never expected you to be here." He indicated to the ruined base.

Asami looked down and was silent for a few moments before responding, "A-actually, to be honest, I really don't want to be here."

Iroh then raised an eyebrow, "Then why are you here?"

"It's rather personal." She said while still looking down, "What about you? Why are you here?" she asked, finally raising her eyes.

"The United Forces have decided to set up a headquarters here in Republic City, and I have considered this area for its location, so I wanted to check if it was suitable, and I am not disappointed; I think that this location is good."

"Oh, that's great." said Asami while trying to muster a smile.

"Thank you, Miss Sato." Said Iroh, smiling.

Iroh must have noticed that she was just trying to smile, because a moment after thanking her, he then said, "Miss Sato, I know that the two of us barely know each other, and I'm sorry if I am being a bit too forward or anything else like it, but it seems that you're having a hard time, and if you need to talk to someone, you can come to me."

Asami looked at him; she was very touched by his offer, but wasn't quite ready to tell him her problems, not _yet_. "Thank you, General. I appreciate your offer and concern... I'll keep the offer in mind." She told him while smiling.

… and this time, her smile was genuine.

"You're quite welcome, Miss Sato." Iroh replied with his own smile before giving her a bow.


	2. Proposition

**This is the second chapter, I wanted to put it up as soon as possible, and please review for I want to know what you think of my story. :)**

**P.S: This going to be a multi-chaptered story**

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It was high noon, and Asami has been sitting in her father's old office at her family's mansion for almost six hours; the office was completely redesigned to fit the young Sato's taste, as well as try to remind her less of her father, she was currently working on a new vehicle design and schematics based on her father's latest machine: the biplane, since six o'clock in the morning. She knew that the invention was created for war, but she couldn't deny that they were useful and practical. Her father's affiliation with the Amon and the Equalists has tarnished Future Industries' name, and as a result, investors and buyers have shied away, not wanting to get involved with a company that suffered such a scandal, but this did not discourage the young new CEO, she took it upon herself to persevere and work diligently in order to bring back the company's credibility.

Three hours passed when one of her butlers knocked.

"Come in." said Asami.

"Ms. Sato, there is a General Iroh here to see you." Said the butler after entering.

Asami was surprised; she didn't expect to see him for at least several weeks, considering that both their jobs took extensive hours of work, it had been only three days since their last encounter at the old Equalist base, and then suddenly remembering with worry that the old biplanes were the ones that destroyed his fleet, she hastily shoved the schematics into her desk drawer.

Afterwards, she told the butler: "Please send him in."

"As you wish, Miss Sato." Said the butler before bowing and leaving to get the visitor.

A few minutes later, the butler came back and announced Iroh's arrival.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Sato." The general bowed, smiling when he raised himself.

"Good afternoon, General Iroh." Asami greeted him with a smile, "Please take a seat." She gestured to one of the chairs in front of her desk. The general nodded before sitting down with grace befitting royal status. "Thank you, Miss Sato." Said Iroh.

"My pleasure, general." She began, "So what brings you here? It's not that I'm not glad to see you, but I would have thought that you were busy with building the new United Forces headquarters here in Republic City."

"Actually, that's partly the main reason why I'm here; I wanted to ask you if you are interested in a proposition."

"What kind of proposition?" asked the raven-haired woman while placing her elbows on her desk and intertwining her hands before propping her chin on top of them

"Well, it is well known that your company, Future Industries, possesses advanced technology and machinery that speed up production and progress in making your Satomobiles…" began Iroh.

"And?" prompted Asami.

"… and the United Forces want to have the Republic City headquarters built and finished as soon as possible, and we were wondering if you would lend us some of your equipment in the construction, we, of course, will pay all the expenses concerning your machines. And since I am going to be the in charge of the base, I will handle all transactions. " he finished with a small smile.

Asami took a few minutes to contemplate: this was a very good proposition, and it would surely be beneficial to both the United Forces _and_ Future Industries. However…

She removed her elbows from the desk and folded her hands on her lap, she then looked down with a saddened expression, "Are you sure that you want to make a deal with Future Industries?"

"Excuse me?" the question turned his smile into a confused frown.

"I said, 'Are you sure that you want to make a deal with Future Industries?'" Asami repeated.

"I know what you said, what I meant was, why are you asking me this?" answered General Iroh.

Asami sighed deeply before replying, "My father did many terrible things using machines that he made using Future Industries…" she paused, afraid of what he might say, before continuing, "… and because of the things that he did, the company has suffered tremendous disgrace, surely the esteemed United Forces wouldn't want to affiliated with such an organization."

Iroh was silent for a few seconds, he wasn't sure how the young woman in front of him would react with what he was about to say regarding her father, after contemplating, he then replied, "Ms. Sato…" began the general carefully "…please don't be offended, but although your father's crimes were an issue for some…" he paused, to see if she wanted to say anything about the matter, and was surprised when she replied: "Please continue, General." In an even tone.

He then continued, "… the United Forces has nothing against Future Industries itself, regardless of what other people may think, besides that, we have complete faith and trust in you, Miss Sato, as the company's new leader, for you have joined the Avatar and indirectly, the United Forces in the battle against the Equalists." He finished.

Now it was Asami's turn to be silent, she was relieved that the United Forces trusted her, but she was still worried about what Iroh might personally think if she told him…

_I __**have**__ to tell him. _Asami intensely sighed before responding in a low voice, "General Iroh, I'm glad that the United Forces trust me, but what I'm afraid of is your personal reaction."

"What do you mean?" the general asked, confused even more.

Still not looking up, she replied, "One of the terrible things that my father did, was destroy your fleet." She finished, "With these." She added before taking out the plans for the new biplanes from her drawer and, without looking at the general, placed them in front of him.

It was tensely quite for what felt like hours, Iroh took the plans and scanned them, him saying nothing made Asami feel terrible.

"General Iroh…" she began tentatively, "…before you say anything, I just want to apologize for what these machines have done, I know that you and your men almost lost your lives because of them, I won't blame you if you want to forget about the proposition, and I understand if you're mad, but I just want you to know that as the owner of Future Industries, I am sorry." She finished, keeping her head down in shame.

And then, after what felt like years, Iroh placed the plans down and spoke:

"Look at me." he said in a voice lower than Asami's.

Slowly, Asami raised her head, expecting to see a look of pure anger and rage on the general's face, but was greatly surprised when she saw a look of sympathy and understanding instead.

"Ms. Sato…" he began as tentatively as she did, "…you have nothing to apologize for."

Asami was, at the very least, shocked at his words, as she began to open her mouth to protest, he stopped her.

"No. Let me finish." He said in a commanding tone, at this, Asami closed her mouth. "You have nothing to apologize for; you did nothing wrong, I have known for a long time that your father was the mastermind behind all the Equalist machinery, even before I first came to Republic City for battle, and as I've said before, the United Forces, most especially me…" he placed emphasis on the last three words, "… have nothing against your company; although Future Industries did produce Equalist weaponry, it was not you, but your father who designed those weapons and ordered for them to be produced. So you are, by all means, innocent."

When he finished speaking, Asami couldn't help it; tears started to escape her eyes.

"M-miss Sato!" said Iroh, startled and confused, "I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to offend-"

"No." said Asami, wiping her tears "You didn't do anything wrong, General Iroh. It's just that-," she trailed off before running from the room.

"Miss Sato!" exclaimed the worried general before following her.


	3. Comfort

**Hi again, everyone! I now give you the third chapter of this story, I really wanted to post it as soon as I could, so if you have the time, please leave me a review; I truly do want to know what you think. :)**

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Even though he ran as fast as he could; Asami had a great headstart, and Iroh wasn't able to keep up with her, she outran him and eventually disappeared from his view. _She's an incredibly fast runner, _thought the general, he was startled by her reaction earlier and even more so when she ran away, Iroh wanted to know if she was alright, so he picked up his pace and ran through the vast halls of the mansion, _I'll keep on running until I find her, _was his constant thought.

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He eventually found her at the Estate's racing track; she was sitting at the stands and was weeping silently, the young general carefully approached her and stood a few feet from her before speaking.

He first cleared his throat, "Miss Sato?" he spoke softly.

The young woman's head snapped up in surprise, she then used her hands to wipe away the tears, she then turned to face him, "General Iroh," she began, "I'm so sorry that I ran away from you." She sniffled.

"Miss Sato," he said as he walked towards her and sat by her side, "… it's okay, from your reaction; I realized that you needed time alone, and I understand that, but I just wanted to make sure that you were alright."

"Thank you for being concerned, General." She said, "It really means a lot to me."

Iroh smiled at her words, "As always, you're quiet welcome, Miss Sato. If you need anything from me, don't hesitate to ask."

Asami was silent for a while, and then she looked into his eyes; they were sharp, but at the same time, they also had a strong aura of security and genuineness. They had only begun to be acquainted with each other, and yet she already knew that he was a person worth trusting, so after spending some time contemplating, she finally spoke, "General Iroh?"

"Yes?"

"Do you still remember your offer to me about being able to approach you if I needed to talk to someone?"

He nodded.

"Does it still stand?" she asked.

"But of course, Miss Sato." He replied.

"Thank you." She said.

The raven-haired woman then took a deep breath before starting, "When I was six years old, I lost my mother to a member of the Agni Kai Triad when the group broke into my home; both my father and I were devastated, and during that time, I also lost my father, although I didn't know back then; I lost him when he began to hate all benders and decided to join Amon. I knew that he was overcome with extreme grief and sadness, and so was I, but I never expected him to become… a _monster_…" she placed stress on the last word,"… I thought that he was still the same man that I used to know, but I was wrong.

"And that was very painful for me, when I had to electrocute him in order to save my friends from the Equalists, I felt awful. And the worst part was when we escaped from the old Equalist base with Bolin; that was the time that he… _tried to kill me._" She cried at the last part.

The general was listening intently to her, and was shocked that her father tried to kill her, his only child and daughter. He then placed his arm around the crying woman, and then she, not being able to hold in her emotions any longer, buried her face into his shoulder, to which he wrapped his other arm around her in order to give her comfort.

After a while, she then raised her head and continued with tears still streaming down her cheeks, "The things that you said earlier…" at those words, Iroh began to speak in order to apologize for hurting her, but she stopped him before his words left his mouth.

"… no, General, please don't apologize; you have nothing to be sorry for, you did not hurt or offend me in anyway. It's just that I realized something from your words that I feel that I should have grasped before: everything that my father did was terrible, and it was because of him that Equalists had the weapons that caused so much damage, and _I_ feel terrible because I realize that it was all _my_ fault; if I was a better daughter back then, if I was able to fill the void that he had in his heart, then maybe he wouldn't have turned out the way that he is now, and maybe Republic City wouldn't have suffered so much."

Iroh still had his arms around her; he then placed his hands on her shoulders. "Miss Sato," he began tenderly, "I am so sorry for all that you have lost, and for all the pain that you felt. But you can't blame yourself for what happened; your father made his own decisions, you didn't make him join the Equalists, he made that choice himself, and I may not know much about you, but I can tell that you are a good person, and that you were also a good daughter to your father, and that you loved him very much, but he was already too blinded with rage, and he threw himself so far in to his anger that it was too late for anyone, even you, to save him from it."

Asami listened to his words intently, she felt so much better, so much _lighter_, because she finally opened up all her problems, the heaviness that she felt in her heart has been lifted, and the comforting and understanding words from the general made her feel even better; this made her very glad that she decided to share her emotions and thoughts with him.

She then looked up into the general's soft eyes, "I understand what you're saying. Thank you for helping me." She smiled at him.

Iroh also smiled at her, "It was my pleasure, Miss Sato."

Asami smiled even more. And she can't help but let her mind wonder back when she first saw the general; he was clutching his wounded arm that was exposed after the left sleeve of his uniform was burned away, his hair was slightly dishevelled from being thrown into the waters of Yue Bay by the impact of the bomb that he exploded with his firebending in order to protect himself, and when Korra was healing his wound he was wincing slightly; but even when he was in that kind of state, Asami couldn't help but think that he was good-looking.

But now, here he was, once again wearing his _full _United Forces uniform, his hair was styled back, and he was offering her words of comfort and then smiled when she thanked him. During this time, Asami Sato realized exactly just how handsome the young general of the United Forces really was.

She then turned her face away in order to hide her blush.

_Why did my cheeks turn red? _she thought_. _And then after a while, she faced him again, "Thank you again, General."

"Again, it was my pleasure, Miss Sato."

She smiled again. And then when a short while passed, said, "Shall we go back inside? I believe that we still have a proposition to discuss."

"Oh, yes. Of course." Said Iroh while standing up, "Shall we, Miss Sato?" he offered her his hand.

She took his hand and couldn't help but feel warmth, "Yes. We shall." She smiled.

He then smiled as well, before helping her up, he then started to lead her up the stairs of the stands when she suddenly spoke.

"And, General?"

"Yes, Miss Sato?"

"Call me Asami."

He smiled before replying, "Alright, but you have to call me Iroh."

"Deal." She smiled.

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After an hour and a half's worth of negotiations and discussions, they finally closed the deal. And it was only after the general bid her goodbye and then leaving that she began to ponder over the warm feeling that she felt in her hand earlier, _and_ the blush that crept to her cheeks; she didn't know exactly _why_ she had those reactions…

… but she is more than sure that whatever the reason was, she liked it.


	4. Unique

**Hello, there everyone! First of all, I just want to apologize that this chapter took longer than the others; I was still working on it when I posted the previous chapter, again I'm sorry that it took longer.**

**Anyway, I really hope that you all like this chapter, and if you have the time, review, for I really do want to know what you guys think. :)**

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They had agreed that before they start any official business, the United Forces should have an approved contract with Future Industries, and that Iroh will have the contract finished and documented within a one-month period, and then personally present the documents to Asami the next month.

But Iroh, being thorough went it comes to work, was able to complete the contract within three weeks; seven days ahead of the agreed date and decided to surprise Asami with the documents the day after the contract was finished.

He soon arrived at Sato Estate in his car the next morning, and then climbed the steps of the grand mansion's pathway with the contract in the suitcase that he held. When he knocked at the manor's grand entrance, a butler answered his call, "How may I help you, General Iroh?" he inquired politely.

"I'm here to see Ms. Asami." The young general answered.

"Very well, sir. I shall take you to her."

"No, no." started Iroh, "If it's alright with you, I would like to surprise her."

"As you wish, General Iroh." Replied the butler.

"Thank you, so could please just take me to where she is and _not_ announce my presence?"

"Of course, sir." Started the butler, "Miss Sato is currently training in her personal gym, I shall take you there."

Iroh nodded, and then following the butler through the many hallways of the manor, was soon led to the backyard, and then he shortly arrived outside a fairly large ornate building, which its door is slightly opened ajar.

"Miss Sato is in there, sir."

"Thank you."

The butler bowed before turning away and leaving, when he was sure the he was definitely all alone, Iroh quietly opened the door wider and then silently slipped in.

When he turned around after closing the door, he saw Asami several feet away from him; she was wearing attire suited for training, and was poised in a fighting stance. Her eyes were closed; most likely concentrating with the task that she was about to perform.

_Come to think of it, I've never actually seen her fight before. _Iroh thought; he has heard of the young woman's fighting capabilities, and from what he was told, he came to think that she was a skilled combatant.

So in order to see her abilities for himself, the general decided not to interrupt yet and waited for her to begin.

He didn't have to wait long; because a few seconds later, Asami opened her eyes and Iroh noticed that they were full of pure determination, and soon, the young lady began performing a series of combinations of fighting techniques.

Iroh watched her every move closely; he observed that every strike was delivered with power, dexterity and precision, each defensive block performed with swiftness, and each change of direction that she made was executed with agility and great sense of timing.

The young general was fascinated with the way she fought: she moved gracefully and promptly, as if she was merely dancing. However, her every move was accurate, purposeful and strong, and by looking at her fixated eyes, it was clear that she was focused on how she executed each action.

This made the young general think that his earlier thought of her being _just_ skilled did not do her justice.

This wasn't the first time Iroh had seen a non-bender train, as the United Forces did have non-bending soldiers and leaders. He watched hundreds of non-benders train, and he has always appreciated how hard they worked.

But he has never before seen a non-bending soldier from the United Forces fight like Asami did; there was something about her fighting style that made it unique, that made _her_ unique…

_Wait. Why am I thinking like_ _this?_ He then shook his head, and afterwards spoke, "Asami?"

The woman in question stopped at once and turned around with a surprised expression, "Iroh!..." she began, "…how long have been standing there?"

"Long enough to see that you're certainly a highly proficient and agile fighter." The general replied with a smile.

Asami couldn't help but giggle slightly at his compliment, "Why, thank you. That means a lot coming from you, _General_ Iroh."

Iroh smiled, "You're welcome, Asami."

"So why are you here? I thought that you would be working on the contract."

Iroh held up the suitcase in his hand and smiled even more, at this, Asami's eyes lit up in amazement, "You're already finished?" she asked in astonishment.

"Yes." He replied.

Asami then smiled widely, "Well then, I suppose that we should make things official between Future Industries and the United Forces now, although I must apologize that I don't look very professional at the moment." She indicated to her training attire that was slightly wet from her sweat with a sheepish smile.

Iroh laughed, "It's quite alright, Asami. What's important is that the contract is finished and that we can finally start the transactions."

"Yes, that's true, so shall we proceed to my office?" Asami asked.

"Very well then." Said Iroh while opening the door for her.

She smiled at him in appreciation, and then left with him following her.

* * *

It was already afternoon when he returned to his ship, the signing of the contract only took a few minutes, but the young lady had asked him if he wanted some tea, and for some reason, he wasn't able to resist her invite, and it was from that simple offer that the two of them began to _truly_ know each other.

He found her to be a proper young lady who was charming, kind, genuine and caring, but at the same time, a dedicated person who was also brave, selfless, loyal, disciplined and hardworking.

* * *

And as he sat down in the chair in his office, he found himself thinking about Asami; ever since he first saw her, he had been under the impression that she was unlike most women, and when they met again unexpectedly at the old Equalist base, his impression of her had only deepened. And when she opened up to him, it expanded even more.

But after their conversation over tea, he internally answered the question he asked himself when he was watching her train.

He was thinking like that because she really was unique.

… and he found himself smiling at his answer.


	5. Professional

**Hello again! Once again, I'm sorry that I took longer to update, I've been rather busy lately, and I'll be busy for a while, so updates will be a bit slow, but I promise that I'll try to update as much as possible.**

**I hope that you like this chapter, and please _do_ review, for I really do want to know what you guys think. :)**

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"So what do you think of the operation?"

"I think that this is much more impressive than what I expected it to be."

Asami chuckled at the general's response; they had only begun the tour around the factory, and therefore, she was pleased to know that he was already impressed.

Iroh and Asami were currently inside the Future Industries factory, after the contract signing the previous day, Asami told the general that she would give him a tour personally herself the following day so that he could see and know everything about the factory, the technology it uses and the machines that it produces.

"Well, if you think that the process of making Satomobiles alone is impressive, then wait until you see what the rest of the factory has to offer." The young woman told him.

Iroh then turned to her, "I'm certain that everything else will be remarkable, if not even more." He smiled.

Asami chuckled again, "Well, you'll just have to see for yourself, let's continue the tour."

Iroh nodded, and let Asami lead the way. They next arrived at a large and expansive sector that was separated from the Satomobile manufacturing area; this area is filled with massive contraptions that were still under construction.

"Do you recognize these machines, Iroh?" Asami asked.

Iroh examined the machinery very closely; they were black and dark-grey in colour and there were currently large, curved metal beams being moulded on their topmost surfaces. The young general lifted his hand to his chin, still thinking, and then, the answer came to him.

"Those are Police airships, aren't they?" he replied in realization.

Asami smiled, "Yes, they are. Future Industries has been producing them for several decades now."

"Brilliant." Iroh commented. "So what are the kinds of equipment that you use in their manufacturing?"

"Well, for the airships, we use equipment that was also developed by Future Industries. In fact all of our equipment was developed by the company, but each tool that we designed was made for specific products, all of them have distinct functions that accelerate the progress and assembly of the product that they were assigned to." The young raven haired woman explained.

At this Iroh was astounded, "Amazing." He began in a murmur of astonishment, "Well the United Forces certainly made the right decision in investing and cooperating with Future Industries."

The young woman smiled, "Shall we continue with the tour?"

Iroh was quiet for a few moments, and when he spoke, Asami's smile turned into a confused frown, "No. There's no need." He said.

"What? Why?" she asked.

Iroh smiled at her confusion, "Because from what you told me, I now know what are the types of devices that are most beneficial to the construction of the new base."

Asami was even more confused, "How so? You haven't seen everything yet."

Iroh's smile widened so much, that the young woman partially saw his white teeth, "Asami, before I came to you with the proposition of Future Industries and the United Forces cooperating together in the construction of the new base here at Republic City, I already had information regarding the motor vehicles that your company produces, and I have had those products examined, and according to the results, they were made proficiently and expertly, and we also found their internal parts to have been progressive. And therefore it was concluded that for something to be made that well, the tools used in the production must have been advanced." he elaborated.

Asami then smiled, she was impressed with how well-prepared Iroh was, though he must be so due to the fact that he was a general of the United Forces, preparation was a necessity in battle after all.

"I see." Said the young lady. "So I suppose that this concludes our tour." She smiled even more.

Iroh was still smiling, "Yes. I suppose so. All I need now are the schematics for the equipment that you use, once they are examined, we will be able to choose the tools that would be most advantageous to the construction."

"Oh, yes. I'll have them prepared and I will personally present them to you in about three days." She told him.

Iroh's eyebrows were slightly raised in mild surprise, "No, no. There's no need for you to do that Asami, I have a team of mechanical experts that could scan the schematics, there's no need for you to trouble yourself with a presentation."

The general was then caught off-guard when Asami spoke with a serious voice and expression, "No, Iroh. As the Chief Executive Officer of Future Industries, I will personally handle all things that involve my company in its partnership with the United Forces, including minor things like examination and presentation of schematics; since this my first vital task as CEO, I want to be involved in this project as deeply as possible for it is of great importance to both our organizations. "

Iroh was speechless for a short moment; he was impressed with her commitment, and even more so with her professionalism; even though they now know each other at a personal level, she still showcases a professional attitude when needed.

… and he also can't help but think that her professionalism only enhances her charisma.

He then replied with a small smile, "Very well, Miss Asami." He bowed his head.

"Thank you." She said still serious, but then her serious manner was replaced with one of teasing, "And didn't I tell you to_ just _call me Asami?"

Iroh chuckled at that, "My apologies." He grinned.

Asami giggled, "So I'll just present the schematics to you in three days' time at shall we say at around nine o'clock in the morning at your office?"

"As you wish." He smiled again.


	6. Feel

**Hello again, everyone! First of all, I would like to apologize for the late update, I really am very sorry that I updated so late; I've been very busy with schoolwork lately and I'll still be busy for the following weeks to come, but I'll update as often as I can, I promise. I hope that you will all understand.**

**Anyway, here is chapter 6. I hope that you guys like it, and please _do_ review, for I really want to know what you guys think. :)**

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"Do you think that those machines would more beneficial in constructing the outer walls of the buildings?"

"No, no. I think that they would be more useful in_ making_ the material for the main buildings."

"Really? Because with that kind of power, they would be able to finish the outer walls in less than five months, and with the combined efforts of our earthbenders, the walls would be done within _at most_ three months."

"That maybe so, but their efficiency would be very suitable in the production of the fine material that we'll use in making the main buildings; the material needs to made with precision and timing."

A moment of quiet.

"Maybe we should just divide the machines equally." Iroh and Asami said simultaneously, and then they both laughed afterwards.

As they had agreed, Asami was presently presenting the schematics of the Future Industries' machines to Iroh three days later. The two were currently discussing the plans for the new Republic City base in Iroh's office on his ship, with the two of them sitting across from each other with the blueprints and schematics on the huge table between them; they spent hours poring over the blueprints for the headquarters, as well as the details of the functions of the Future Industries machines that Asami was going to lend to the United Forces.

After laughing, Asami spoke, "But seriously Iroh, I really do think that if we do divide the machines equally, productivity will be much better."

Iroh considered her words, "I can see your point; the procedures and progress will all be balanced, and balance is a key factor in everything, most especially in battle."

"So does that mean that you agree?"

"Yes, it does."

"Good, now that that's settled, we can move on to other business." Asami began, "The equipment for the building of the interior of the base might either be any of these two…" she then gestured to the schematics of two machines, "…this one," she pointed to the first illustration, "…is capable of moving on any type of surface, and can build the internal structures of the building when its exterior has already been finished, it also operates quickly and swiftly, so if you would use at least three of them in each sector of the base, then the interior of the entire headquarters will be completed in a matter of four months."

The young general nodded, "And what does the second contraption offer?"

"The second contraption is efficient in moulding any kind of substances and materials that would be used in the construction in a relatively short amount of time, depending on how strong and how much the material is, that is. However, its record time is impressive; as one alone was able to mould a seven storey building in two weeks." Explained Asami.

"Well, that _is_ impressive." Agreed Iroh.

"So what do you think?" asked the young woman.

Iroh rubbed his chin in a thoughtful manner; he couldn't decide which machine was better. So after a while, he gave her his answer. "I think that production would be even faster if _both_ machines would be put to use." he said.

"I suppose that you're correct; if both machines were used, then the base would be up and running in no time." She agreed.

"Yes. That's right." The young general said. "Are there anymore machines that you have not yet presented?"

"No, actually I have presented all of Future Industries' machines and equipment, and you have decided to have all of them take part in the construction." She said.

"Have I?" Iroh asked, genuinely confused.

"Yes, you have." Asami smiled at his question.

Iroh smiled in return, "Well, who can blame me? The equipment that your company uses truly is remarkable."

_That may be true, but there are a lot of people who can blame you for that._ Asami couldn't stop her smile from becoming bitter nor could she refrain from lowering her gaze as she felt a twinge of sadness from recalling the fact that most people now mistrust Future Industries because of her father's affiliation with the Equalists.

Iroh's confusion then returned when he noticed Asami's sudden change in expression, before the young general could ask what was wrong, she began to speak, "Could you tell the rest of the world that?" there was a hint of bitterness and sadness in her tone.

His confusion then turned into realization at her words, "Asami…" he began softly while reaching across the table to hold her hand, "… you shouldn't let what others say of your company bother you, Future Industries has a lot to offer and is still a very notable company..."

He trailed off as his voice began to take a harsher note, "…if they choose not to invest in it because of their prejudiced and biased way of thinking, then they are fools."

Iroh didn't mean to speak so harshly about the others who were wary of Future Industries, but he couldn't help but feel frustrated at how they scrutinize an entire organization and its people because of what one person from them did. _People should learn not to judge so unreasonably… _he thought _…because the ones who are being misjudged get hurt._

…and as he thought of that, he instinctively squeezed Asami's hand comfortingly.

* * *

Asami can't help but sense a pleasant and warm feeling grow inside her at his words; she supposed that she felt the emotional warmth because she was grateful to Iroh that he defended her company, and that she appreciated his kindness and friendship.

… but when he gently squeezed her hand, she can't help but feel that there was something more to it than the gratitude that she had for him.

When a moment passed, the young woman raised her green eyes to meet the general's amber ones, "Thank you, Iroh." She smiled.

"You're welcome, Asami." He smiled.

A silent moment passed before Iroh broke it, "Well, I suppose that we're done for today."

"I guess you're right. So I'll just take care of your orders for the machines, they'll be ready and available for work in about three weeks."

"Very well." He said again with a smile.


	7. Simplicity

**Hello, again everyone! First of all, I owe you guys a very BIG APOLOGY, I'm really sorry that I haven't updated for a while, I've been really busy with school lately, most especially since I'm graduating this March, so I haven't been able to focus on the story, and I'll still be pretty busy, so updates will be slow. Again I'm really, really sorry. I hope you all understand. :)**

**Anyway, here is chapter 7, it's pretty long in comparison to the other chapters, so I really do hope that you guys like it. And if you have time, please _do_ review, because I truly do want to know what you guys think. :)**

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Since seven o'clock in the morning, Asami was in her office at her mansion; she was continuing her work on the schematics for the new model of the biplane; she already took care of Iroh's orders for the construction of the new United Forces base, and as she promised, the equipment would be ready in three weeks.

And since the order was already taken care of, the young woman then turned her attention and focus on consistently planning and designing the diagrams; her eyes were strained and dry from scanning and reviewing the plans constantly, and her hands were numb from making notes, erasing defective and unsatisfactory parts of the illustrations, and replacing them with drawings of better and functional designs.

However, she paid no mind to the strain and numbness that she felt for her mind was active, full of energy and alert, and she was determined to finish as much work as she could for the day.

But despite the fact that she was immersed at the task at hand, when she felt her stomach grumble, her concentration was broken, and at the same time, she also realized what time it was.

"It's nearly sunset!" she quietly remarked to herself in surprise when she glanced at the large window at the wall of her office; the sun was already starting to disappear from view, and the sky was darkening. It was only then that she realized that she was working continuously for nearly eleven hours…

… and that she hadn't eaten anything since she awoke early in the morning.

"Well, I'm no good if I'm starved and with an empty stomach." She told herself, and with that she stood up from the chair that she had been sitting on for several hours, cleaned up her desk, stored everything to its proper place, and left the office.

On her way to the dining room, she realized that she hadn't been into town lately, and then decided that she would just stop by at her favourite fast-food restaurant and get a take-out. _I just want to eat, not have a night out._

So she then went to her bedroom to change, and then about ten minutes later, she was driving her Satomobile to town.

Before she knew it, she was outside the restaurant; she then stepped out, and went inside.

Although the young Sato was accustomed to expensive fine dining, she finds pleasure in simple dishes; her favourite fast food restaurant was modest in size and design, and even more so when it comes to the foods that it serves; with chicken dumplings, noodles and ginseng tea being Asami's favourites from the establishment.

At the counter, she already received the noodles and chicken dumplings, but the cashier told her that the ginseng tea would take about five minutes.

"I'm very sorry ma'am, but it will take five minutes." The young man behind the counter said.

"It's alright, I can wait." She replied.

When the young man smiled and nodded, she sat down at one of the waiting benches, she was just thinking about the mechanics for the new biplane when she heard a voice,

"One order of ginseng tea for take-out!"

She then stood, and approached the counter to where the tea was, but at the moment that she made a grab for it, her hand collided with another's.

"I'm sorry, but-" she immediately stopped talking when she raised her eyes to meet the stranger's.

She took a moment to make sure that her eyes weren't beginning to malfunction from too much stress as she took in the person's appearance; he was wearing a dark-red dress shirt and a pair of light grey trousers, which were partially hidden because of his black waistcoat, to anyone else, this wouldn't have been surprising, but what caught Asami off-guard was the man's familiar amber-coloured eyes which had a surprised expression.

She was stunned because this was the very first time she saw General Iroh wearing something else other than his United Forces uniform.

"Asami!" he gently said in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

Asami couldn't help but smile, "I could ask you the same question, Iroh."

The young general chuckled, "Well, it's-"

But he was interrupted shortly when a cashier approached them with a take-out order for tea in his hand, "I'm sorry, sir. Here's _your_ tea."

"Oh, yes…" Iroh began, "Thank you."

The young man smiled before walking away, then Iroh began to speak, "Asami, if you like, we can continue our conversation elsewhere, seeing as the restaurant is full, that _is_ if you're not too busy."

Asami quickly scanned the area, sure enough, the place was packed.

"Alright, I'll drive." She replied.

"Let's go then." The young general said with a smile while leading her out of the full restaurant.

The pair soon got into Asami's Satomobile, and then they drove away.

They soon parked at an area near one of the secluded areas of the docks Yue Bay, and then it was Iroh who spoke first, "You chose Yue Bay?"

"Yes, it's private. Why? Would you like to go somewhere else?" asked the young woman.

"No, not at all. I'm just curious why you chose this place." The general answered.

"Oh, alright…" Asami began, "So, would you like to go out and eat our food there, or do want to eat here?"

"You decide, Asami." Iroh replied.

"If you're sure about letting me decide, then let's go out." She then proceeded to go out of the car with Iroh following her lead.

The two of them then set their food in front of them as they sat side-by-side, and then began to eat to eat in peaceful silence for a few moments when Asami spoke, "So _why_ were you at the restaurant, Iroh? I wouldn't have ever imagined running in to you in a place like that."

Iroh smiled at her as he began to reply, "Well, I suppose that I just wanted to try something new."

Asami raised an eyebrow while a playful smile formed on her lips, "Why? Tired of fancy food?" she teased.

The amber-eyed man laughed softly at her remark, "No, not really; what I meant was that I wanted to do something simple."

The raven-haired woman was genuinely interested by his statement, "Really?" she asked in amazement.

Now it was Iroh's turn to raise an eyebrow, "Yes, why are you so surprised?"

Asami blushed slightly in mild embarrassment, she thought that she offended him, "Well... it's just that…" she tried to find the right words to explain, "… you're the type of person who is used to lavishness and luxury, and I know that most people, especially men, wouldn't want to stray willingly from that." She explained, "But please don't think that I'm trying to offend you, because I'm not!" she hastily added.

To her relief, Iroh chuckled, "It's alright, I'm not offended; and I want you to know that although you're right about me being used to luxury, I don't mind roughing it every now and then."

Asami smiled at what the general said; she was impressed by the fact that he's willing to mix it up sometimes.

… and she can't ignore the fact that they _both_ have that in common.

It took a moment or two to respond, "Well, that's really great, Iroh." She said, "But I'm still surprised, with you being royalty after all."

Iroh smiled even wider, "Well, most people usually think that all royals don't like anything that's not extravagant, but that's not true, there are some that prefer simple things. And my family and I are a part of those _some_.

"My grandfather, the former Fire Lord Zuko, learned to appreciate the simplicities of life, partly from his experiences as a young teenager, but mostly from his uncle, my namesake, the first General Iroh, and when my grandfather became Fire Lord, he still valued simplicity, and when he had my mother, he taught her to appreciate it, and then when I was old enough to walk, she taught me that. And personally, I think that it's one of the most significant lessons in life."

Asami's eyes lit up in admiration for the general; it was very amazing and inspiring to hear such words of humility from someone who was of high rank and power.

"You and you're family are truly incredible, Iroh." She finally said in awe.

"Thank you, Asami." He said. "Now, why were _you_ at the restaurant? Not to be rude or anything, but I thought that you would be busy."

"Oh…" Asami began to chuckle slightly, "… well, I am, but I decided to take a little break, and by the way, I'm already finished with your orders. And regarding your question about me being at the restaurant, well...like you, I also appreciate simple things, and the food that the restaurant served was, well, simple, but I really like it."

"I see…" said Iroh, "…so _why_ do you like it?"

Unexpectedly, Asami didn't know what to reply, which confused her for she obviously knew the answer, and when she suddenly felt a pang of sorrow in her chest; she was puzzled even more.

But she then realized that her emotions were faster than her brain because she finally remembered with unbelievable surprise that she liked simple foods because _both_ her parents introduced her to it when she was a little girl, her eyes then widened as her mouth opened slightly at this lost memory. _How could I have forgotten about that?_

She must have been either quiet for a while or looked quiet shocked, or maybe both; because Iroh began to speak, "Asami…" he began tenderly while gently shaking her, "Are you alright?"

The young woman snapped out of her trance, and answered with a note of sadness in her voice, "I'm fine…" she paused before continuing, "…it's just that my liking to simple foods is connected to my father_ and _my mother, and it's kind of-"

Iroh immediately understood where her statement was going and then stopped her before she finished, "Oh, I understand." He said while reaching out for her hand, "You don't have to say anything more if you don't want to."

She shook her head defiantly, "No…" she started, "…it's okay; actually…" she stopped before resuming, "…I want to share this with you."

"If that's what you want, then go on." He murmured to her comfortingly.

She took a moment to prepare and then with great pain, explained how she came to like simple foods as she recalled the short yet nostalgic memory…

"It all started when I was four…"

_She was four years old and was playing in her room when her parents came in with a take-out bag from the same restaurant._

"_Hi, sweetie." Her mother cooed._

_The little girl then looked up from her toys and greeted her parents, "Hi Mommy! Hi Daddy!" She then ran to the pair who enthusiastically returned the greeting with a family embrace._

"My mom and dad bought me my very first take-out from the restaurant…"

"_Look, honey…" Her father began, "…we got you something." He said while holding up the take-out bag._

"_What is it?" she asked._

"_Food." Her mother said simply._

"_Yay! I'm hungry." She then took the bag._

The young woman then smiled sentimentally "At first I didn't want to eat it because I thought that they looked disgusting…"

_When she opened the bag, she exclaimed, "Eew! They look yucky."_

_Her parents laughed at her reaction, and then her mother began to speak, "Maybe they do look yucky, honey; but they're yummy!"_

_The little girl crossed her arms and shook her head, "No!"_

Asami then allowed tears to stream down her cheeks, as she continued her tale, "And then my mother came up with a way to make me eat it…"

_The girl's mother then came up with an idea to get her daughter to eat; she covered her face with her hands and began to pretend to cry while sobbing, "My Asami won't eat. I'm so sad."_

_Her father then went along, "You see, Asami." He pretended to scold her, "You made your mother cry."_

_The tiny girl then stopped being stubborn, and then took the take-out bag, "I'm sorry mommy, daddy. Look, mommy! I'm eating!" she took a bite and then found out that it was delicious._

"_Wow!" the little girl exclaimed with her mouth still full, "This is really good!"_

_Her parents then stopped pretending and then smiled at each other at a job well done, "See? I told you that it was yummy." Her mother said._

"And after taking my first bite, I asked why they eat food like that, since I was always curious as a little kid …"

"_So Mommy, Daddy, why do you eat food like this." She asked while still eating._

"_Because it's yummy." Her mother chuckled._

"_I know, but __**why**__do you eat it in the first place?"_

"And then it was Dad's turn to give an answer…"

_It was her father's turn answer, "Because, sweetie. Before Daddy became rich, he used to eat that all the time, and when he met your Mommy, he made her eat it too."_

"_Really? Did you also cry when Mommy didn't want to eat too, Daddy?"_

"_Yes, I did. And it worked like a charm." He winked at his daughter._

_The family of three then laughed at the father's remark before embracing one another again._

"And that's how I came to like simple foods." The young woman chocked out the last statement as she cried, nostalgia and grief mixing together in her chest and overtaking her senses.

Iroh was listening to her story intently, and then when she was finished, he wrapped an arm around her empathetically in order to comfort her.

If the young general was impressed with her strong character before, he was amazed now. Yes, he knew that she went through many difficult trials, and was able to overcome them, but it was only now that he knew of the loss of the most cherished things that she had before: a whole family and the love of parents.

What astounded him was that despite losing all that, she was still standing and fighting; he was truly inspired by her willpower and strength, because to him, a person who can carry on after suffering such great losses is truly strong.

…and he also couldn't stop himself from thinking that she would be a wonderful inspiration.

_She certainly would..._ he began to think. …_ for __**everyone**_**, **_of course._ He hastily added to the statement in his mind.

After a few seconds, he tentatively rubbed her shoulder as a soothing gesture, "I'm so sorry." He said solemnly.

She sniffled before responding, "Thank you for listening and understanding me, Iroh. It really helps."

"My pleasure, Asami." Smiled the young general.

For a while, the two sat together in comfortable silence, until Iroh broke it, "Now, then, are you going to finish that?" he tauntingly pointed to her food.

Asami's mood then became more cheerful as she softly giggled at his remark, the two of them then continued to eat their food in peace as they talked about different topics.


End file.
